Bachmann 35-505SF

Class 117 3-Car DMU 117308 BR Regional Railways

Name: Bachmann Branchline 35-505SF Class 117 3-Car DMU 117308 BR Regional Railways
Brand: Bachmann
SKU: 35-505SF
Price: 569.95 GBP

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

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

Manufacturer description

The Class 117 3-Car Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) is Bachmann Branchline’s flagship First Generation multiple unit, equalled only by its single-car Class 121 stablemate. Employing cutting edge technology, these high fidelity models boast a wealth of detail and era-specific options to depict specific units at various points during their working careers which, for some, extended to almost 40 years in service. Returning to the Branchline range in a selection of new liveries, these iconic suburban DMUs will make a fine addition to any model railway set in the steam-diesel transition period onwards.

Comprising a Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS), Trailer Composite with Lavatory (TCL) and a Driving Motor Second (DMS), each of the three vehicles is modelled true to prototype, adorned with separate detail components whilst underneath the engine, drive gear and auxiliary equipment is all depicted faithfully. It may be hard to believe, but within these components and integrated into the underframe is hidden the drive mechanism, on the DMBS at least, which is totally invisible with no intrusion into the interior of the model. Talking of the interior and the fine detail extends inside the model too, complete with prototypical decoration. The livery application is executed to a high standard both inside and out, using accurate colours and authentic fonts, typefaces and logos to stunning effect.

Driven by the low profile mechanism, the model features electrical connectors between the three vehicles providing lighting throughout the model and, for DCC users, the convenience of fitting a single DCC decoder to control the full 3-car set. The lighting suite includes directional lights, interior cab and passenger saloon lights, and Illuminated headcode boxes and destination blinds, all of which can be enjoyed by analogue users – controlled with the under-chassis switches – or via dedicated functions on DCC. Adding a DCC sound decoder, or opting for a SOUND FITTED model with pre-fitted sound decoder, will put the pre-fitted speakers to good use – two of which are fitted, one in the DMS and one in the DMBS.

MODEL FEATURES:

Bachmann Branchline OO Scale
Era 8
Unit is Preserved
Pristine BR Regional Railways Livery
Set No. 117308
3-Car Unit comprising DMBS No. 51371, TCL No. 59509 and DMS No. 51413
Destination Blinds for Hereford and Birmingham
SOUND FITTED - Fitted with a Zimo MS450P22 DCC Sound Decoder – See below for the function list
Length 816mm

DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL

Cab Fronts featuring Marker/Tail Lights and High Intensity Headlights
Plated Headcode Boxes
Shortened Cab Handrails
Corridor Connectors Fitted
Round Buffers
Modified Bogies with Heaver Bolsters and Side Control Buffers
Twin Exhausts with Silencers at the Corridor End on the DMBS and DMS Vehicles
Bodyside Heater Louvres (on the DMBS Vehicle)

BACHMANN BRANCHLINE CLASS 117 SPECIFICATION

MECHANISM:

Two motorised vehicles (DMBS and DMS) each fitted with three pole motors and a flywheel providing drive to the inner bogie
Four axle drive (two driven axles in each of the DMBS and DMS vehicles)
Separate metal bearings fitted to each driven axle
Trailing axles run in metal pinpoint bearings
Electrical pickup from all wheels
Diecast metal, multi-stage gearbox, 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 outer bogie on the DMBS and DMS vehicles
Conductive couplings with integral close coupling mechanisms fitted between vehicles
Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater

DETAILING:

Separately applied metal detail parts, including lamp irons, cab end handrails and roof filler pipes
Bogies constructed from multiple components featuring brake and suspension detail and steps where prototypically appropriate
Speedometer with flexible connection between bogie and solebar on the leading bogies of the DMBS and DMS vehicles
A wealth of separately fitted underframe components including engines, exhaust systems, electrical gear and auxiliary equipment
Interior detailing including seating, partitions and driver’s chair and control desk in each cab
Sprung metal buffers
Each model is supplied with a full set of decorated bufferbeam pipework and accessory parts including a coupling tool

LIGHTING:

Directional lighting, including illuminated headcode panels* and high intensity headlights*, switchable on/off independently at either end via the chassis-mounted switches or via dedicated DCC functions (*where applicable to the prototype being modelled)
Separately illuminated destination panels, switchable on/off independently at either end via the chassis-mounted switches or via dedicated DCC functions
Passenger saloon lighting – switchable on/off via the chassis-mounted switches or via a dedicated DCC function
Cab interior lighting – switchable on/off via the chassis-mounted switches or via a dedicated DCC function
Authentic light colours and temperatures selected for each lighting application

DCC:

Plux22 DCC decoder interface – one decoder required per unit

SOUND:

Two speakers fitted, one in each of the DMBS and DMS vehicles, for optimum sound reproduction – fitted to every model as standard
Zimo MS450P22 DCC Sound Decoder fitted to SOUND FITTED versions
Sound files produced specifically for the Bachmann Branchline Class 117 DMU using recordings from real units
SOUND FITTED models operate on DCC and Analogue control as supplied

LIVERY APPLICATION:

Authentic liveries applied to all vehicles including interior decoration
Multiple paint applications employed using BR and corporate specification colours
Logos, numerals and text added as appropriate using multi-stage tampo printing using authentic typefaces, logos and colours

SOUNDS

F0 - Directional Lights - On/Off

F1 - Warm Engine Start-up / Shut-down (with F5 On - Cold Engine Start-up)

F2 - Brake

F3 - Single Horn (Speed & Direction Dependent)

F4 - Two-Tone Horn (Speed & Direction Dependent)

F5 - Cold Start (engage F5 before F1) / Light Load

F6 - Engine Cruise / Compressor Speed-up

F7 - Flange Squeal (at Speed Steps 1-39 of 127)

F8 - Detonators (Speed Variable)

F9 - Saloon Lighting - On/Off

F10 - Guard’s Whistle

F11 - Crawler Mode (Low speed & sounds only)

F12 - On - Guard’s Single Buzzer / Off - Driver’s Single Buzzer Response

F13 - On - Guard’s Double Buzzer / Off - Driver’s Double Buzzer Response

F14 - On - Driver’s Door Open / Off - Driver’s Door Closed

F15 - Passenger Door Slam (Before moving)

F16 - DMS Destination Blind Light - On/Off

F17 - DMBS Destination Blind Light - On/Off

F18 - Fade All Sounds

F19 - Windscreen Wipers

F20 - DMS Directional Lights - Off/On

F21 - DMBS Directional Lights - Off/On

F22 - Rail Join Clatter - Off/On (Speed Variable)

F23 - On - Passenger Door Open / Off - Passenger Door Closed

F24 - Cab Lights - On/Off

F25 - Handbrake

F26 - Air Tank Drain Down

F27 - Volume Down

F28 - Volume Up

Analogue Users: Please note that normal load running sounds and any other automatic or randomised sounds will also operate when this model is used on analogue control (DC) straight from the box!

CLASS 117 HISTORY

The Class 117 DMUs were built by the Pressed Steel Company between 1959 and 1961 as 3-Car units, comprising of a Driving Motor Brake Second (DMBS), a Trailer Composite with lavatory (TCL) and a Driving Motor Second (DMS). In total, 39 3-car sets were built along with three pairs of spare driving vehicles, and all were deployed initially to BR’s Western Region, working the suburban routes out of London Paddington with the units largely based at Reading and Southall depots.

Though not originally fitted, between 1965 and 1972 gangways were added to all vehicles in the class. As other first generations units were withdrawn, the 117s became more widespread with some moving from the Western Region to Birmingham and Scotland, prior to the delivery of new units to replace them. Selected for life-extending refurbishment during the 1970s, the entire fleet was refurbished with new interiors and returned to traffic. The following decade saw units repainted into Regional Railways livery as Sectorisation began, and later Network SouthEast livery was applied to those working around London and in the south east.

Withdrawals began as new, second generation units were introduced on their routes and the final bastions for the 117s were Haymarket depot in Scotland and Bletchley in England. The last units bowed out in 1999.

Catalogue listing

Brand

Bachmann

Range

Branchline

Product Code

35-505SF

GTIN

803393082956

RRP

£569.95

Catalogue

Autumn 2024

Release date

December 2024

Model details

Tooling date

2022

DCC status

DCC Sound Fitted

Chassis construction

Plastic & metal

Coupling

NEM 362

Coupling mount

NEM pockets

Coupling type

Tension lock

Finish

Pristine

Livery

Blue & Grey

Minimum radius

Radius 2

Minimum radius curve

2nd Radius (438mm)

Name

W.P. Allen

Scale

OO Gauge (1:76 Scale)

Running numbers

117308, 51371, 59509, 51413

Features

Interior lighting
Directional lighting

Prototype information

Builder

English Electric at Vulcan Foundry
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns

Build dates

1960 to 1965

In service until

Present

Locomotive type

Diesel-Electric

Main duties

Mixed Traffic

Operated by

British Rail
Colas Rail
DB Cargo
Direct Rail Services
Europhoenix
EWS
Locomotive Services Ltd
Rail Operations Group
West Coast Railway Co

Total built

309

Tractive effort

55,500 lbf

Wheel configuration

Co-Co

Locomotive class^*

British Rail Class 117

Motive power

Diesel Multiple Unit

Built

August 1948

Total produced

123

^* 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.

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